Women Empowered
Natasha “The Nightmare” Spence
She didn’t just break into the boys’ club—she built her own empire. Discover the profile that captured her rise in real time…
Her strength, which should have been her greatest ally, had been working against her, for her entire career. Fellow athletes, both men and women, saw her not as a comrade but as a formidable rival. Okay, a little dramatic, but on a real tip, women seemed to fear her overwhelming power; men were intimidated by her relentless drive.
To be gifted is to be blessed, but sometimes, that blessing can be a curse. This is the story of Natasha “The Nightmare” Spence, a woman whose extraordinary strength has become both her greatest asset and her deepest burden.
In the world of competitive sports, strength is paramount. It’s a realm where power and tenacity are celebrated. Natasha was born with an incredible gift – a strength that set her apart from the very beginning. Her dominance was noticed from the very beginning, but behind the accolades and applause, Natasha felt an unsettling loneliness…
“Can you describe a moment in the ring that you will never forget? Can you share a pivotal moment in your career that significantly impacted your approach to the sport? What has been the most challenging obstacle you’ve faced in your boxing career, and how did you overcome it?”
What I didn’t realize was that all of the questions that I had planned for my interview with Natasha were answered the very first night that I experienced her. Natasha had stepped in with four days’ notice to fight Melinda Watpool on December 2nd, 2023.
She entered the ring like a reigning champion. The crowd seemed to feed off her energy, their cheers a testament to who she was, a formidable athlete. Yet, as she moved to her corner, I sensed something amiss. Her punches, though powerful, lacked something, and I couldn’t put my finger on it. She still shone bright, her skill and tenacity undeniable, but an invisible weight seemed to anchor her movements.
The bell rang, and she launched into action. Her technique was impeccable, a dance of controlled aggression and grace, but the spark, that indefinable fire that set her apart, seemed dim. She fought valiantly, but it was clear: tonight, the great boxer was not on her game.
Our Woman Empowered Natasha “The Nightmare” Spence was born on June 24th, 1985. Natasha earned the nickname “The Nightmare” during her fourteen-fight amateur career, which included winning two Ontario Golden Gloves Championships. Natasha has become known for her fast hands, footwork and heavy body punches. She was named Best Female Novice Boxer at the Ontario Golden Gloves held in Kitchener, Ontario in April 2009, and Best Female Open Boxer at the April 2010 Ontario Golden Gloves in London, Ontario. She was also named Best Overall Female Boxer for the years of 2009 and 2010.
She did not compete as an amateur at the national, or international levels, but went directly to her pro debut at age 25 on November 11th, 2010, at the Hershey Centre in Mississauga, Ontario, at 131½ lbs., winning by a TKO at 1:07 in the second round over Bernadette Hume.
I finally got a chance to sit down and talk to Natasha; it was when I learned exactly what happened on December 2nd, 2023.
“I got in there knowing that I wasn’t healthy. I had a fever, and it had been for awhile; I knew something was wrong. Regardless I had to fight Simone. It had been six years since I had my last fight. No one wanted to fight me, so I had to get in the ring.”
“Before I went into the ring, I asked for protection. Guess what, there was not one punch that physically hurt me. This is no disrespect to Melinda; she is a great fighter, and I have a lot of respect for her, but her punches did not affect me that night. It had nothing to do with her, it was because I was protected. I woke up the next day with a little bit of a black eye. When I went to the doctor, I was told that I had pneumonia. I was literally drowning, and I felt this throughout the fight, I couldn’t breathe. They had to put me on puffers for six months, and till this day, I am still on puffers.”
Natasha was born in Kitchener (to Jamaican parents), and she shared a little bit about the earlier part of her journey there. “Growing up was challenging. I came from a Caribbean household, and that in itself is a whole other story. I had an older brother who taught me how to be tough. We would wrestle, and he taught me how to fight. This is where my natural abilities started to manifest. The only thing is, I was always too tough for a girl, but the boys didn’t want me on the team. As a child that was confusing.”
It took years for Natahsa to understand the source of her isolation. Why did she feel like an outsider in a sport she had dedicated her life to? The answer lay in the very essence of her gift.
“I was in the gym at 19 years old. I loved boxing, I would shadowbox, even at a young age. Whenever I would see a fighter raise his hands in victory, I would copy him and do the same thing. There was just something about fighting that drew me.”
“I remember when I first stepped into the gym and started training, my coach at the time came up to me and said, ‘How long have you been boxing?’ I responded, ‘I just started.’ He was shocked. I know I am physically strong; I am gifted in that sense. I have sparred men that have said I hit as hard as them.”
“Here I was thrown in with these strong men. I would train and practice, and I could tell you they wouldn’t like it. I would touch them up a bit, and they would get in their feelings. This is how I knew I was strong. There were many sparring sessions when my coach would have to pull me out of the ring because they could see the men getting emotional, and when they got emotional, they would lean into me, really hit me with some serious punches.”
Natasha shared with me her challenges as a fighter. She had been presented with 10 offers, and five contracts during her professional career. For whatever reason, a fight would not come to fruition.
“I had the same opponent pull out twice. I just couldn’t understand what was happening. Boxing to me is air. It is food. It is everything. It is heartbreaking to need something so hard to function. I struggle with it every day. It is painful knowing that I want a sport so much, and at times it looks like it doesn’t even want me. It’s like walking into a room, and not being wanted.”
“I used to think my strength was just for winning, but now I see it’s more than that. It’s about inspiring others, about showing what’s possible. Yes, it’s been a lonely journey at times, but it’s also been a path of self-discovery. I’ve learned that true strength isn’t just physical – it’s about: resilience, empathy, and understanding.”
Natasha’s journey was never just about fighting. It was about finding her place in a world that both revered and resented her strength. In embracing her gift, she found her true purpose – not just as a competitor, but as a beacon of inspiration.
Her strength was indeed a blessing and a curse, but through it all, Natasha is discovering that her true power lies in her ability to uplift others, to turn her isolation into inspiration, and to transform her greatest challenge into her most profound triumph.
Natasha, we are anxiously looking forward to watching you change someone’s boxing dreams into an ultimate nightmare.